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“Right, because I’m usually such a slacker,” I joke.
Bishop chuckles a bit, something he’s been doing a lot more of since he found his woman, Alma. I’ve always liked Bishop and consider him a close friend, even though some think of him as gruff and a bit of a loner. Having Alma around has softened up the otherwise grumpy Bishop and made him enjoy life a little more.
I can hear someone open and close a door on the other line, and I’m guessing Alma just walked in. “I’ll let you get to work,” he tells me. I can already hear the change in his voice, and I can just picture him dropping the phone and pulling her close. I hang up before I get an earful of something I don’t want to hear. Bishop and I are close, but not that close.
A strange ache blooms in my chest, and I rub the heel of my hand over my heart, massaging away the pain. I’m not… I’m not jealous of Bishop. At least, not directly. Alma seems like a sweet woman, but she’s not my type. I’m not sure what my type is. Maybe that’s what I’m wrestling with.
Bishop found his partner for life, and she’s been so good to him. Hell, Jake, Levi, and Caleb also found their perfect matches. Dex and I are basically the only bachelors left in our whole crew. Speaking of…
Dexter walks in through the backdoor, stomping his way through the store. I can hear the distorted sound of music blasting from his headphones as he unloads his pack and attempts to brush out some of the wrinkles in his plaid shirt. It does little to help.
“Morning, Dex,” I greet, though I’m sure he can’t hear me with his music blasting. I’ve learned to lean into the strengths of my crew and mitigate their weaknesses. Dex isn’t a people person and he’s even less of a talker. The man is a damn hard worker, however, and the best demolitionist I’ve ever worked with.
Twenty minutes later, I’ve sorted through the paperwork and handed out assignments to my crew for the day. It’s mostly tearing down the old stuff and deciding what needs to be trashed and what can be reused or sold for parts.
I’m well into my project of measuring the wall that needs to come down when I realize the worksite has gone oddly quiet. No saws buzzing or hammers pounding away. No wheelbarrows filled with plywood and drywall being hauled out. Not even a string of expletives from Dex, which can pretty much always be counted on.
Furrowing my brow, I turn around and see everyone crowding around the front door. My crew of giant men are inadvertently hiding whatever is distracting them, so I set down my tape measurer and head that way. Silence isn’t the sound of us hitting a deadline, which needs to be remedied immediately.
“Hey, thanks!” Levi says as he reaches out toward something.
“Really good,” Jake mumbles through a mouthful of what I assume is some kind of baked good. He has absolutely no self-control when it comes to sweets.
“What in the…” I stop short when I break into the circle of construction workers surrounding the redheaded thorn in my side.
“Hi!” the woman from yesterday says with a bright smile. She’s holding a box of assorted donuts, which appear to have been mostly mauled by a pack of hungry bears.
I quirk my eyebrow up in question, not sure what her plan is here.
“I’m Delilah. I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday.” Her blue eyes shine up at me, and damn, her full lips part in a stunning smile, complete with dimples. Fuck me, why is she so…. So… adorable.
“Archer,” I clip out, a bit harsher than I intended. I can’t help it. This woman is making my heart race and my palms sweat. What the hell?
“Archer,” she repeats, my name sounding sweet coming from her lips. “Would you like a donut? My treat!”
I cross my arms over my chest and stare down at her. What’s her game? The more I scowl, the bigger her smile gets.
“Not a donut guy. Noted,” she finally says. I watch as Delilah sets the nearly empty box down on the table next to her, then surprises everyone by having a second box of bakery items underneath. “Go ahead, boys!” she calls out. “Let no pastry go uneaten!”
My crew hoots and hollers as they shuffle around the table, leaving little Miss Delilah and me facing off in the doorway. She once again mirrors my stance, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her chin up to meet my gaze.
It takes considerable effort not to stare at her breasts which are now being pushed up by her crossed arms. In fact, it's taking considerable effort not to drag my eyes down her curvy body and undress her with one look. But I'm not a creep, and I'd never want to make this woman uncomfortable, even if she's annoying the hell out of me at the moment.
“Is this your plan?” I say, finally breaking the silence.
“Can’t a girl just do a nice thing for the people she’ll be spending the next month with?” Delilah asks in a saccharine voice. Her smile is fixed in place, but those blue eyes are swirling with mischief. Why does that turn me on so much?
“Well, thanks for the free breakfast, but if you haven’t noticed, my crew can go through two boxes of food in less than five minutes.” Delilah looks over at the empty boxes, then lifts her gaze to Levi and Caleb, who are wiping their hands off and grabbing their tools again. She glares at me, her right eye twitching ever so slightly. I just shrug, giving her big, bright smile right back to her. “So if you were hoping for more of a break from the noise, you should think about having a three-course meal delivered next time.”
Delilah huffs out a frustrated breath, looking from me to my crew and then back to me. “Fine, maybe I was hoping to have a more peaceful morning today, and yes, I thought donuts might help get my request for a quieter work environment acknowledged.”
“Look, lady. I–”
“I have a name,” she interjects.
“Delilah,” I say with a sigh. “I get it. Construction sites are loud and you’re not thrilled to be working next to one. But I already told you there isn’t anything I can do about the noise.”
“Actually, now that you mention it, I was doing some research.”
